Wireless communications systems use electromagnetic radiation to carry encoded data between a transmitter and a receiver. In wireless communication systems that include a central terminal that services a large number of subscriber terminals, each with the capability to receive and transmit data, it is necessary to efficiently use the electromagnetic frequency spectrum to accommodate the largest number of subscribers.
For example, a wireless local loop system may be used to provide service to residential areas. Such environments are typically multi-path environments, which are characterized by radio frequency signals being reflected by intervening objects, such that a large number of duplicate signals may be received at the receiver. In such environments, it is necessary to perform additional signal processing to improve the quality of the received signal.
In addition to the phenomenon of multi-path signal generation, radio frequency licensing entities often allocate available radio frequency spectrum space to telecommunications service providers in segments of varying bandwidth size. The number of users of the system also varies as a function of time, which can cause the signal quality to subscriber terminals that are remote from the central terminal to be degraded even though additional unused system capacity exists that could be used to improve the signal quality. Existing systems and methods for data communications that are used in multi-path environments are not easily reconfigured to accommodate changes in bandwidth, signal strength, number of users, or other variables. Therefore, it is difficult to optimize the data communication systems for the service environment, number of users, licensing variables, and other variables.